This invention relates to low foam aqueous cleaning compositions for cleaning metal-polymer composite paste residue from the surface of screening masks, associated screening equipment and the like in the manufacture of ceramic substrates for semiconductor packaging applications. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with aqueous alkaline cleaning solutions comprising carboxylate or aminocarboxylate polymer salts and low foam surface active agents as a solvent replacement in high speed cleaning of paste screening masks, associated screening equipment and the like in the fabrication of multi-layer ceramic substrates.
Standard processing for ceramic substrate production, particularly for multilayer ceramic substrates, involves a series of operations starting with preparation of ceramic slurry comprising ceramic filler, organic binder, solvent vehicle and plasticizer; green sheet casting; blanking; via punching; circuit personalization or screening of conductive paste through a screen mask, followed by singulation/sizing; inspect/collate/register operations; stack and lamination; and finally binder burn-off and sintering.
In the circuit personalization process step in the formation of ceramic substrates, conductive metal features for wiring and via metallurgy on the substrate are defined by screening metal-polymer composite paste through a contact mask, such as a metal mask having a closely spaced fine dimension pattern etched in molybdenum (Mo) foil or electroform mask such as copper-nickel or copper-nickel-copper masks. Paste screening through such masks leaves paste residue on the mask surface as well as on the side walls of the mask features. This residue must be removed after each screening pass or multiple screening passes depending on the paste composition and mask type in order to assure consistent quality defect-free screened patterns. Associated screening equipment can also be contaminated with this paste residue and must be cleaned periodically.
Conductive pastes used in screening processes for the wiring and via metallurgy basically comprise metal particles dispersed in an organic binder and solvent vehicle along with wetting agents, dispersants/surfactants, plasticizers, and other additives such as rheology modifiers, thickening agents, antioxidants, and coloring agents.
The conductive pastes commonly used in multi-layer ceramic substrate production are dispersions of a metal powder as the predominant component, typically molybdenum (Mo), copper (Cu), tungsten (W), copper in combination with nickel (Ni), in a polymer binder such as ethyl cellulose, polyalkyl methacrylate (for example, polymethyl methacrylate or polyethyl methacrylate), and a high boiling solvent such as 2,4,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentane diol monoisobutyrate (Texanol), butylcarbitol acetate (BCA), a suitable surfactant or dispersant and a thickening agent or rheology modifier. Selection of a conductive paste for a particular layer pattern in multi-layer ceramic substrate is dictated by the requirement for the desired circuit pattern and compatibility of the paste with green sheet material.
The above fabrication processes and equipment used to produce ceramic substrates with paste-screened metallization are well known in the art.
Because of the variety and complex chemical make-up of the polymer/metal dispersions which form the pastes, it is required that the mask cleaning medium and process selected be such that it provides complete and efficient cleaning of paste residue on screening masks, associated screening equipment and the like regardless of the paste characteristics in terms of wettability, solubility, polarity, etc.
An automated in-line paste-screening and mask cleaning process using perchloroethylene as a cleaning agent for metal masks used in multilayer ceramic technology is described in Davis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,486 and Magee et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,040, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein. This process is designed for real time operation to provide compatibility with high throughput screening in a production environment.
Chlorinated solvents such as 1,1,1-trichloroethane, perchloroethylene, fluorochlorocarbons, and related halogenated hydrocarbons are non-flammable and highly effective solvents which have been used in the past for a multitude of industrial applications. It would be desirable to replace these chlorinated solvents.
The challenge is to replace an effective solvent-based mask cleaning composition with an aqueous cleaning process that is equally as effective as the chlorinated solvent-based cleaning process for paste residue from screening masks and associated screening parts.
Therefore, this invention is concerned with the aqueous cleaning of screening masks, associated screening equipment and the like that are used in the process of screening metal-polymer conductive paste onto green sheets in the manufacture of ceramic substrates.
Winston et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,431,847 and 5,433,885, the disclosure of which are incorporated by reference herein, disclose an aqueous cleaning composition comprising an alkaline salt and concentrates of anionic polymers comprising polyacrylic acid in conjunction with a hydrotrope to stabilize alkali metal silicates to prevent silicate precipitation when used in the removal of Rosin fluxes from electronic circuit assemblies.
Ilardi et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,293, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses aqueous cleaning compositions for cleaning silicon wafers to remove metal contamination from the wafer surface without increasing surface micro-roughness of silicon wafers. The cleaning compositions are comprised of a metal ion-free base, an amphoteric surfactant, a metal complexing agent, and propylene glycol ether as an organic solvent.
Kleinstuck et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,023, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses alkaline cleaning compositions and process for industrial water treatment according to which polyaspartic acid-based compositions carrying phosphonic acid are used for inhibition of incrustation or scale formation due to Ca++ and CO3-2 ions which lead to limescale deposits.
Kroner et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,113, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses the use of co-polymers derived from aspartic acid polymers used in the form of free acids or neutralized with ammonia, amines, or alkali metal hydroxide, as additives to detergents or cleaners as scale inhibitors or as dispersants.
Cala et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,504, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses a method of cleaning solder paste from metal stencils and screens with an aqueous cleaner based on alkali metal carbonate, a surfactant, alkali metal silicate, and a stabilizer for silicate to prevent gel formation, as a safer replacement of alcohol solvents.
Perner et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,646, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses the synthesis and use of polyamino carboxylic acids and/or polymers of mono- or dicarboxylic acids as additives for phosphate-free or low phosphate textile detergents or dispersants or coating inhibitors in cleaners.
Notwithstanding the efforts of those skilled in the art, there still remains a need for an effective, aqueous cleaning composition for removing screening paste residue from screening masks, associated screening equipment and the like while maintaining the cycle time requirement in automated mask cleaning operations without adverse impact on product throughput and product reliability.
Therefore, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide an alternate method for cleaning screening masks, is associated screening equipment and the like used in the production of ceramic substrates without an adverse impact on the mask integrity, cleaning quality, process reproducibility and cycle time in a manufacturing environment.
It is another purpose of this invention to provide an aqueous cleaning method for screening masks, associated screening equipment and the like where the dissolved metals and organics in the waste water are readily removed by standard treatment methods while the active ingredients in the cleaning solution are mostly biodegradable and thus the waste water can be safely discharged.
These and other purposes of the present invention will become more apparent after referring to the following description of the invention.
The purposes of the invention have been achieved by providing, according to a first aspect of the invention, an aqueous alkaline cleaning composition for removing paste residue from screening masks, associated screening equipment and the like in the fabrication of ceramic substrates comprising a water soluble polycarboxylate salt in excess alkali and a surface tension lowering additive.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of cleaning paste residue from screening masks, associated screening equipment and the like comprising the step of contacting the screening mask or screening equipment having a paste residue with an aqueous alkaline cleaning composition comprising a water soluble polycarboxylate salt in excess alkali to obtain a pH of the solution in the range of about 11.5 to about 13.5, and a surface tension lowering additive.
The aqueous cleaning compositions according to the present invention are comprised of an alkali metal salt and/or a quaternary ammonium salt of polymers of the type polyacrylic acid and/or polyaspartic acid such as polycarboxylate sodium, polycarboxylate potassium or polycarboxylate quaternary ammonium salts in aqueous alkali. Preferably, the cleaning solutions are alkaline solutions of pH in the range of about 11.5-13.5, and most preferably a pH of 11.9-12.8, and preferably further comprise a non-ionic and an amphoteric surfactant and/or an ionic surfactant which are preferably medium foam, low foam or no-foam type surfactants.
Preferred polycarboxylate salts are derived from low molecular weight (MW) about 1500-10,000 polyacrylic acid homopolymer (PAA) or its co-polymer with maleic anhydride (PAA-MA), and/or polyaspartic acid (PA), poly(maleic acid), poly(maleic acid-co-olefin), or poly(methacrylic acid), poly(acrylic acid-co--methacrylic acid), which is neutralized with alkali metal hydroxide, alkali metal carbonate, alkali metal bicarbonate, or neutralized with an organic base such as tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide, amines such as aliphatic amines, alkanolamines, or mixtures thereof. Polyacrylic acid homopolymers and co-polymers useful for the purpose of this invention are available from commercial sources, for example, under the trade names xe2x80x98Acusolxe2x80x99 acrylate polymers (Rohm and Haas) and xe2x80x98Sokalanxe2x80x99 acrylate polymers (BASF). Poly(acrylic) homopolymers and co-polymers although not readily biodegradable, can be readily removed from waste water by precipitation and/or adsorption on sewage. Aminocarboxylates polymers or polyaspartates derived from aspartic acid (aminosuccinic acid), on the other hand, can be completely biodegradable depending on the method of synthesis. Polyaspartates that are synthesized by Bayer""s process for manufacturing polyaspartic acid involving acid catalyzed polymerization of aspartic acid have been reported as a distinct class of water soluble polymers that are known to be essentially completely biodegradable. Alternate polycarboxylate salts which can also be used according to this invention include salt of poly(dl-lactic acid)and related systems.
Amphoteric surfactants according to this invention are preferably low foam type such as the alkyl imino acid salts based on alkylated carboxy-alkyl tertiary amines of the type Rxe2x80x94N(CH2CH2COOxy)2, where R=organic radical represented by CnH2n+1, where n=8-15, x=H, and y=M+, for example, AO-400, bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-isodecyloxypropylamine oxide such as AO-14-2, alkoxypropyl imino acid salt of the type alkali surfactant NM (35% active) available from Tomah Corporation, and related alkali stable materials available from other commercial sources. Medium foam and low foam non-ionic surfactants that can also be used alone or in combination with amphoteric surfactant are: ethoxylated alkyl phenols, primary alcohol ethoxylates, particularly those which are biodegradable, such as Plurafac LF, and polyoxypropylene-polyoxyethylene block co-polymers such as Pluronic 25R8, Pluronic L35 (BASF); Triton DF-12, Triton 54 (Union Carbide); and Polytergent ADL ultra-LF, and SLF-18 B (Olin Corp.), alkyl polyglycosides such as Glucopon LF-1 (Henkel/Emery) and related alkyl polyglycoside and glucosamide based biodegradable surfactants derived from polysaccharide chemistry with EO/PO aliphatic alcohol. In addition, fluoroalkylene-(polyoxyalkylene) surfactants or xe2x80x98Fluoradsxe2x80x99 (3M) of low foam type such as FC-171, FC-129, FC-170C, and FC-120 can also be used for the aqueous cleaning compositions according to this invention. Other surface active agents that can be used in conjunction with amphoteric and non-ionic surfactants according to this invention include low foam ionic surfactants such as sodium octyl sulfate, sodium and/or triethanolamine dodecylbenzene sulfonate, and related alkyl aryl sulfonates and sulfates, and carboxylated alcohol and alkyl phenol ethoxylates.
It is preferred that the total concentration of the active ingredients in the cleaning solution comprising polycarboxylate salt, alkali, and surface active agent is in the range 0.3‥5 weight % and most preferably in the range of 0.5-1.5 weight %. More specifically, the active ingredients in the cleaning solution are present, in weight percent, as 0.1-2.5% polycarboxylate salt, 0.2-2% alkali, and 0.03-0.5% of surface active agent. Preferably, the active ingredients in the cleaning solution are present, in weight percent, as 0.15-0.5% polycarboxylate salt, 0.3-0.5% alkali, and 0.05-0.1% of surface active agent.
Unless otherwise stated herein, all percentages are in weight percent.
The following representative aqueous cleaning compositions according to this invention are formulated by dissolving polyacrylate and/or polyaspartate; Na, K, or tetramethyl ammonium salts (TMA salts); excess alkali to result in a pH of the cleaning composition of about 11.5 to about 13.5; and surface active agent which is preferably a low foam non-ionic, ionic or amphoteric surfactant:
(a) Polyacrylic acid sodium salt (from PAA MW 2000), 0.15-0.5%; NaOH, 0.2-0.5% and an amphoteric surfactant 0.02-0.1%, all in weight percent. The amphoteric surfactant is preferably based on alkylated carboxyalkyl tertiary amine such as AO-400 and/or alkali surfactant NM (Tomah Products). The pH of the solution is preferably in the range 11.5-13.5. Lower pH compositions having pH 8.5-10.5 based on PAA-sodium salt, were not found effective in removing paste residue from metal surfaces. Above pH 13.5, the solutions become too corrosive.
(b) Polyacrylic acid-tetramethyl ammonium salt (PAA-TMAH) formed by neutralization of PAA (xe2x80x98Acusolxe2x80x99 445, MW 4,500) with tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH), amphoteric surfactant AO-400 and/or alkali surfactant NM, and additional TMAH to adjust pH to about 12.0-12.6 and having about 0.5-1.5% (wt %) of combined active ingredients, balance being water.
(c) Polycarboxylate salt formed by neutralizing 0.2-1.0% polyacrylic acid-maleic anydride co-polymer (Sokalan 12S) with NaOH, KOH and/or TMAH and additional alkali is added, about 0.3-1.0% to adjust pH in the range of 12.2-12.8. In addition, AO-14-2 amphoteric surfactant in the amount of 0.04-0.06%, a primary alcohol ethoxylate based non-ionic surfactant in the amount of 0.05-0.1%, and sodium or triethanolammonium dodecylbenzene sulfonate ionic surfactant in the amount of 0.02-0.05% were added to the cleaning composition. All amounts are in weight percent.
In operation, a screening mask, associated screening equipment or the like (hereafter screening apparatus) having a paste residue is contacted with the aqueous cleaning composition of the present invention. In this manner, pastes containing, for example, Mo, Cu, W or Cu/Ni as the metal filler in an organic binder system may be effectively removed from metal screening masks such as those made from Mo, Ni/Cu or Cu/Ni/Cu, the latter being electroform masks, and other screening apparatus. The screening apparatus may be pressure spray cleaned with the aqueous alkaline cleaning composition at a pressure of 60-170 psi and at a temperature of 130-165xc2x0 F. Alternatively, the screening apparatus can be ultrasonically agitated in the aqueous cleaning solution at a temperature of 140-165xc2x0 F. For screening mask cleaning in an automated screening mask cleaning tool, cycle time for cleaning would be preferably in the range of 15-30 seconds to provide high product throughput.